A Little Background Behind these Interviews

This passed year, I have partnered with Christian Women’s Book Club to develop a live interview style of their already established Meet the Author segment. Danialy Iglesias, the founder of the book club, had the honor of visiting with many authors prior to allowing me the opportunity to serve alongside her in these efforts. These new interview-style live episodes developed this year have been a blessing to watch and partake in, as an interviewer. With permission from the founder, here is another Behind The Scenes share that you won’t find anywhere else! So, grab your popcorn or favorite snack, a hot cup of tea or favorite beverage, and get ready to hear about the heart behind the writing that God has placed on another Christian Author’s heart to share with the world!

World, meet Lucretia Cargill!

Lucretia Cargill resides in the state commonly referred to as “the Heart of Dixie”. This author is a teensy bit of a ways from Oklahoma where I am located. Even as I think about writing the name of the city that she currently calls home, the lyrics of that ole Alan Jackson song bounces around my head…

‘Cause it’s midnight in Montgomery,

Just hear that whip-poor-will

See the stars light up the purple sky,

Songwriters: Alan Eugene Jackson / Don Sampson
Midnight in Montgomery lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group

Yes, folks, she is from Montgomery, Alabama. Home of the Hank Williams Memorial, which this song speaks of. Yes, indeed! Which, of course, is quite the interesting backdrop to this particular Behind the Scenes post. Hank Williams was a rising star who had already identified his wheelhouse of talents in the music industry at an early age. Yet, as his story goes, his early age was where he stayed. Although, of course, I was not there, they say a heart attack was his demise at the age of 29 on one lonely road of a New Year’s Day.

“What does a snippet of Hank Williams history have to do with Lucretia Cargill,” you ask?

Well, it’s simple, really. Lucretia’s highlighted book in this interview is titled, “Discovering Your God-given Purpose”. Ole Mr. Williams didn’t quite get there. You see, he was gifted with wonderful musical talent. Even today, many a writer will coin his talent as one of the biggest influences on country music, to-date! Others even say he helped set the road map for rock ‘n’ roll music in his time! Those are big props given to a young man that identified some of his talents early on. Yet, his story is a fine example of what talent ends in when it is missing something – God’s purpose being identified. He chose a path in the music industry that glorified the world, not God. That path led him to alcohol, drugs, and – eventually – his early death. This example begs the conclusive statement: Without God’s purpose identified and walked in, it is all for naught. God gives us each a measure of grace in the talents and giftings that He calls us to. What we do with that measure of grace matters. Of course, I am not judging Mr. Williams. I am only observing where his treasure was laid in the public eye. Seeking after things of this world never ends well for the seeker. His story is quite the literal example of that, from the outside looking in, of course. Remember – I wasn’t there and it is not our place to judge the heart – just the fruit and the spirit behind it through proper discernment. (see Matthew 7)

Lucretia Cargill’s story contrasts his story quite well, thankfully. Praise be to God in this! She has written many books over a very short amount of time that glorify God. She is walking out her purpose in the gifting of writing that He has placed on her heart. There are many facets to Lucretia’s gifts and talents. She is also a designer, an author, a publisher, an encourager, and a sharpener to His Word – just to name a few. In all the things that she does, her motivation is to glorify God, not the world. On one of her Facebook business pages, you will find this message on her about section:

My mission is to help change lives around the world and to give insight, encourage, and empower individuals to help them gain clarity on how to start walking in a different direction to get different results. “With God, all things are possible” (Matt 19:26) and You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you! God Bless!

Lucretia Cargill’s Facebook Author Page

So, concerning this book we visited about on the live interview over at CWBC’s FB Group…

The Book Discussed

As I mentioned, Lucretia has many books that she has written. Each one covers quite a bit all on its own. These interviews only allow for 30-35 minutes, typically, yet this one spanned just over 50 minutes! So, we kept it to just the one book. We dove deep into the subject of what a heart seeking after God’s purpose looks like, in action. This book is available to learn more about and purchase through the below link to Amazon:

Discovering Your God-given Purpose – a guide to finding your purpose in God

Now For The Behind The Scenes

During the interview, the topic of this book was the highlight of the discussion! God’s Purpose was the focus and resounded throughout the conversation. This tied nicely into the question/challenge I give the authors that I visit with. The goal: to have each author share what is below the surface of the writing God calls them to in this gifting He gives. Lucretia was no different in this request.

As you will hear when listening to the first few minutes of this interview, Lucretia wears many hats. Yet, with all those hats, she desires to give God the glory in them all! I quote Lucretia in her very own words, as she describes one of her most recent endeavors, Lucretia’s Anointed Hands (a t-shirt design line meant for spreading the Gospel through encouragement), she says,

I do a little bit of everything… I also just started my t-shirt line. It’s named, “Lucretia’s Anointed Hands.” The reason I came up with that name is because – When you put your hand on something and when God has His hand dipped into something that means that it is going to flourish. It is going to prosper. Just by me just coming up with that t-shirt line, it has a meaning behind it. Everything that I craft, or every design that I do – it reminds you and encourages you, ya know, to keep pressing forward… to always have hope. And everything that I do has a meaning behind it.

Doesn’t that just speak directly to the heart of the matter, folks!?! What is the meaning behind it all? What is the purpose that drives you forward in the work you put your hands to? There is a God-given purpose that sets us apart from this world. It motivates us to do extraordinary things that glorify God and the name of the Lord, only. Our name may be mentioned in the history books and written about after we are dead and gone, yet what we deeply seek after and desire to truly remain is the glory of God in all that we do. That’s what matters, folks! God’s glory in it all.

“Let His name be praised. Let His name be worshipped… not mine. No, never mine, Father!” is the ideal petition of the heart in all that we are purposed to do in this life. This along with other truths and biblical life application were all discussed in the interview found below.

I won’t go in-depth here in this writing share of all the ins-and-outs of the interview itself. I encourage you to watch it for yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to your heart in it. You can find it over at Christian Women’s Book Club’s Youtube Channel or the video embedding at the end of this post.

Ready to Watch? Just Scroll Down!

I can assure you that your heart will get something from this! It just will.

Whether it be strengthening through His word that was shared, enlightenment in the Biblical application and insight discussed between two sisters-in-Christ, encouragement for your heart in your daily walk with the Lord, or much more along these lines – these interviews have a little bit of all those. This writer has been blessed to work unto the Lord for His glory to be witnessed in many different areas. Writing these books is one of those ways that she is acknowledging the Father in all her ways. Lucretia is an encouragement to the heart in what she does and a sharpener to His Word, as a sister. She will encourage your heart to walk it out in the purpose He calls you to as His child. You can view all of her books on Lucretia’s Amazon Author Page. (don’t forget to click that follow button below her picture to stay up-to-date.)

Here is a final quote from the interview that I will leave you with. I thought she was quite concise with her point. Your God-given purpose is discoverable. As we were visiting about this, I asked her how the talent parable (Matthew 25:14-30) tied into her book. She said:

I am glad you asked that question, because I am going to tell you this right here!

Even when the parable talks about how when he gave the 5 talents… how he took those 5 and they became multiplied, but you’ve got this 1, right? This one that took his and just buried it. This just goes to show you that a lot of us have gifts and talents that God has given us and we are just sitting on them.

Why are you sitting on your gifts?

Why are you sitting on your talents?

I have people that I know right now… Whether it’s doing hair, whether it’s… ya know… singing, whether it’s… I mean you got a great voice and you are just sitting on it. You’ve got people that are artists – just sitting on it. You cannot sit on what God has given you, because guess what?! He will take that away and give it to someone else like He did with that parable. In that parable, take a look at it and go back. If you don’t understand it, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. But you can’t sit on your talents. Everything that God has graced me with… I told the Lord… I said, “Ya know what, when I leave here, I don’t want an inch of talent! I want to be able to use everything that You gave me! Whether it’s writing, whether it’s speaking, whether it’s singing… even if I can carry a little tune…. I am going to sing and glorify Your name as well!”

I am going to do just that. Whatever He gives us – USE IT to glorify God.

That’s enough Behind the Scenes shares for today! Let me know your thoughts on this post by adding a comment below. If you would like me to include other Behind the Scenes topics about the authors that I learn or gather from the time I share with them, add those in the comments, too!

Closing Prayer

God bless you and yours with His rest, His peace, His joy, and, most of all – a deeper revelation of the knowledge of His love for you to the very depths of your heart! May your heart be overflowing in the fullness of God through Jesus Christ! In the Name of Jesus, I pray this. Amen!